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perty of his Irish fubjects; for the speedy and effectual fuppreffion of the rebellion; for the defence of Great Britain itself, and for the general interefts and fecurity of the empire;-he recommends it to his faithful Commons to confider of fuch provisions as may be neceffary for empowering his Majefty for a time, and to an extent to be limited, to accept the fervices of fuch parts of his militia forces in this kingdom, as may voluntarily offer themselves to be employed in Ireland at this important conjuncture.

The above Mellage was taken into Confideration on the 19th June; and the Houfe of Commons refolved,

THAT an humble addrefs be presented to his Majefty, to return his Majesty the thanks of this Houfe for his moft gracious meffage; to affure his Majefty, that while we deeply regret that the machinations of wicked men fhould have induced any of his Majesty's subjects to commit acts of rebellion against his Majesty's government, we at the fame time feel the highest fatisfaction that this occafion has afforded a fresh proof of the zeal and ardour for the service of their country, which has ever diftinguished the militia forces of this kingdom.

That conceiving it may be of the utmost importance for the protection of his Majesty's loyal fubjects in Ireland, for the fpeedy and effectual fuppreffion of the prefent rebellion, and for the general defence of the British empire, that his Majesty should avail himself of the voluntary offers of service which have been made by feveral regiments of militia, we will immediately enter into confideration of fuch provifions as may be neceffary for enabling his Majefty for a time, and to an extent to be limited, to accept of the fervices of fuch militia regiments as may wish to be employed at this important conjuncture.

A fimilar meffage was prefented to the House of Lords on the 18th June, and a fimilar addrefs agreed to.]

In the House of Commons, on the 22d June, Lord George Cavendish moved for the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the disturbances at prefent fubfifting in Ireland, and what means are neceffary to be adopted for conciliating the people of that kingdom.

THE order of the day was moved upon this motion, and agreed to by a majority of 212 to 66.

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In the Houfe of Lords, on the 27th June, the Earl of Befborough moved,

THAT an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, to

ftate to his Majefty the humble advice and requeft of this Houfe, that he would be graciously pleased to take into his royal confideration the calamitous ftate of his kingdom of Ireland;, and that when, under the bleffings of Divine Providence, the rebellion now exifting in that kingdomn fhall have been fuppreffed, fuch a fyftem of conciliation may be adopted as may tend moft effectually and moft fpeedily to reftore to that afflicted country the bleffings of peace and good government: and alfo to implore his Majesty, in the adminiftration of the affairs of Ireland, to employ fuch perfons as may poffefs the confidence of the people, and infure to them the permanence of a juft and lenient fyftem of govern

'ment.

[The above motion was negatived by a majority of 51 to 21.]

On the fame day the Duke of Bedford moved,

THAT this Houfe, understanding it to be a matter of public notoriety, that the fyftem of coercion has been enforced in Ireland with a rigour fhocking to humanity; and particularly, that fcourges and other tortures have been employed for the purpose of extorting confeffions-a practice juftly held in abhorrence in every civilized part of the world; and "That houfes and buildings have been fet fire to; a mode of punishment that can lead only to the most pernicious confequences, and that feldom or ever falls on the guilty, but, on the contrary, on the landlord, the wife and children of the criminals; who, however iniquitous the husband or father, ought always to be fpared and protected;"-is of opinion, that an immediate ftop fhould be put to practices fo difgraceful to the British name; and that our beft hopes of reftoring tranquillity to Ireland muft arife from a change of fyftem, as far as depends on the executive government, together with a removal from their ftations of thofe perfons by whofe advice thofe atrocities have been perpetrated, and with regard to whom the afflicted people of Ireland can feel no fentiments but thofe of refentment and terror.

[The above motion was negatived by a majority of 63 to 20.]

Against this decifion of the House the following Protefts were entered on the Journals.

Diffentient,
BECAUSE the House, having thought fit to reject the various
Die Mercurii, 27 Junii, 1798.
motions refpecting the calamitous fituation of Ireland, which have

been

been fubmitted to their confideration, in the firft inftance for inquiry-in the fecond, for lenity and conciliation-and in the laft, for putting an immediate ftop at least to the rigorous proceedings of the army in Ireland, where, under the name of a system of coercion, we have reason to fear that atrocious cruelties have been practifed, we think it our duty to record the nature of the evidence on which we have proceeded, and on which our conviction of the truth of the facts is founded, and on that evidence to appeal in our own juftification to our country, to the world, and to posterity. We affirm, that the facts are undifputed, that the evidence of them is irrefiftible, and that the effects produced by this barbarous fyftem convict the authors and advifers of fuch a total want of wisdom, even for their own pretended purposes, as can only be exceeded by the fhocking cruelty of the principles avowed, and of the practice recommended by them.-We fhall ftate fome of the documents we refer to, in the order of time in which they have appeared, in order to fhow that this fyftem of coercion has not been haftily reforted to on the fpur of an inftant neceffity, but that it was deliberately refolved on long before it could be justified or palliated by any of the pretences or caufes which have fince been affigned in defence of it.

"Dublin Caffle, March 3, 1798. "His Excellency further authorizes you to employ force against any perfons affembled in arms, not legally authorized fo to be, and to difperfe all tumultuous affemblies of perfons, though they may not be in arms, without waiting for the fanction and affiftance of the civil authority, if, in your opinion, the peace of the realm and the fafety of his Majefty's faithful fubjects may be endangered by waiting for fuch authority.

(Signed)

"THOMAS PELHAM."

On the 26th of February 1798, Sir Ralph Abercrombie declared in public orders, that "the very difgraceful frequency of courts. martial, and the many complaints of irregularities in the conduc of the troops in that kingdom, had too unfortunately proved the army to be in a state of licentioufnefs, which muft render it formidable to every one but the enemy."

On the 18th of April 1798, the following order was issued by Major-general Duff:

The Commander in Chief gives this public notice, that the Lord Lieutenant and Council have iffued orders to him to quarter troops, to prefs horfes and carriages, to demand forage and provifions, and to hold courts martial for the trial of offences of all defcriptions, civil and military, with the power of confirming and carrying into execution the fentences of fuch courts martial, and to iffue proclamations,

"The

"The Commander in Chief calls on all the general officers to procure of the magiftrates the best accounts they can give of the number of arms taken from the yeomanry and the well-affected, of arms that have been concealed, and of pikes that have been made, which are to be recovered and taken poffeffion of by the military.

"They are alfo to communicate to the people through the priests, and by one or two men selected from each town-land, the purpose of the following notice.

"That the order, if complied with, will be a fign of their general repentance; and not only forgivenefs will follow, but protection.

"That they must be fenfible that it is infinitely better for them to remain at home, quietly minding their own affairs, than committing acts which must bring on the ruin of themselves and of their families,

"As it will be impoffible in fome degree to prevent the innocent from fuffering with the guilty, the innocent have means of redrefs, by informing against thofe who have engaged in unlawful affociations, and robbing houfes of arms and money.

"The people must be very ignorant not to know, notwithtanding the fair promifes of the French, that they have first deceived, and then plundered every country into which they have come. And they are therefore forewarned, that, in case of invafion from the French, if they fhould attempt to join the enemy, or communicate with him, or join in any infurrection, they will be immediately put to death, and their houfes and properties destroyed.

"The general officers call on the people to know why they fhould be lefs attached to the government now, than they were a year ago, when they fhowed fo much loyalty in affifting his Majefty's troops to oppofe the landing of the French. Is it not because they have been feduced by wicked men?

"Why fhould they think themfelves bound by oaths into which they have been feduced or terrified?

"The people are requested to bring in their arms to the magiftrates or commanding officers in the neighbourhood, who have directions to receive them, and no queftions will be asked.

(Signed) "JAMES DUFF, Maj. Gen."

On the 7th of May 1798, the following orders were iffued by Lieutenant-general Sir James Stewart :

"Whereas it has been reprefented to Lieutenant-general Sir James Stewart, that in fome parts of the country, where it has been neceffary to ftation troops at free quarters for the restoration of public tranquillity, that general fubfcriptions of money have

been

been entered into by the inhabitants to purchase provifions for the troops, by which means the end propofed, of making the burden. fall as much as poffible on the guilty, is entirely defeated, by making it fall in a light proportion on the whole, and thereby cafing and protecting the guilty; it has been thought proper to direct, that whenever that practice has been adopted, or fhall be attempted, the general officers commanding divifions of the fouthern district, shall immediately double, treble, or quadruple the number of foldiers fo ftationed, and fhall fend out regular foraging parties to provide provifions for the troops, in the quantities mentioned in the former notice, bearing date the 27th day of April 1798, and that they shall move them from ftation to ftation through the diftrict or barony, until arms are surrendered, and tranquillity be perfectly restored, and until it is reported to the general officers, by the gentlemen holding landed property, and thofe who are employed in collecting the public revenues and tithes, that all rents, taxes, and tithes are completely paid up." Adjutant General's Office, Cork, May 7, 1798.

On the 11th of June 1798, Major-general Nugent, after holding out certain offers and terms to the infurgents, proceeds to declare, "That, fhould the above injunctions not be complied with within the time fpecified, Major-general Nugent will proceed to set fire to and wholly deftroy the towns of Killincy, Killileagh, Ballynahinch, Sallitfield, and every cottage and farmhoufe in the vicinity of thofe places, carry off the ftock and cattle, and put every one to the fword who may be found in arms.

"It particularly behoves all the well-affected persons who are now with the rebels from constraint, and who, it is known, form a confiderable part of their numbers, to exert themselves in having thefe terms complied with, as it is the only opportunity there will be of refcuing themselves and properties from the indifcriminate vengeance of an army neceffarily let loofe upon them."

But, finally, the document which appears to us the most important of all, and to which we earnestly invite and prefs the attention of the Houfe, is a public order iffued about the middle of the prefent month of June 1798, in the following words:

Major-general Morrifon requests that officers commanding corps, will give the ftricteft orders to prevent fetting fire to houfes or buildings of any kind, a mode of punishment that can lead only to the most pernicious confequences, and that feldom or ever falls on the guilty, but on the contrary, on the landlord, the wife and children of the criminals, who, however iniquitous the hufband or father, ought always to be fpared and protected.

"And he has likewife received orders from Lieutenant-gene ral Lake, that free quarters are no longer to be permitted, neither are foraging parties to be allowed to go out, unless under the VOL. VII.

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